1. Field
One or more embodiments relate to a vacuum cleaner that smoothly performs straight movement and direction change.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vacuum cleaner is a device that suctions air using suction force generated by a fan and a motor and filters foreign matter from the suctioned air to perform cleaning.
The vacuum cleaner includes a dust collector to filter foreign matter from the suctioned air using a predetermined filtering device. A porous filter unit to forcibly filter foreign matter from air when the air passes through a porous filter or a cyclone type dust collection unit to filter foreign matter from air during cyclonic flow of the air may be used as the filtering device.
The vacuum cleaner includes a main body including a dust collector to separate and collect foreign matter from air, a suction nozzle assembly to suction foreign matter, such as dust, from a floor while moving along the floor, and a connection pipe to guide the foreign matter suctioned by the suction nozzle assembly to the main body.
The suction nozzle assembly includes a suction head, a handle pipe, and an extension pipe connected between the handle pipe and the suction head. The suction head may suction foreign matter from a surface to be cleaned while contacting the surface. The handle pipe is connected to the suction head for user manipulation. The handle pipe and the suction head are connected to each other via the extension pipe. A user may perform cleaning while holding the handle pipe connected to the suction head.
The main body and the suction nozzle assembly may be connected to each other via the connection pipe. One side of the connection pipe may be connected to the suction nozzle assembly and the other side of the connection pipe may be connected to the main body. A flexible hose may be used as the connection pipe.
The main body includes an air suction device to generate suction force. The vacuum cleaner is provided at one side thereof with a dust collection container mounting unit, to which a dust collection container is mounted. The main body may be provided with a wheel assembly to move the main body.
In a conventional vacuum cleaner, traveling wheels are provided at opposite sides of the rear of the main body and a caster to change the direction of the main body is provided at the front of the bottom of the main body. In this case, although the direction of the main body is abruptly changed by a user, the traveling direction of the traveling wheels is not changed accordingly. As a result, the main body may be forcibly moved in a state in which the traveling wheels are lifted from the floor or the main body may overturn.
In a case in which the wheel assembly includes only a caster rotatable in all directions, on the other hand, the main body may shake even during straight movement of the main body with the result that the main body may collide with a wall or furniture in a room. In addition, when a carpet is cleaned, the main body may not easily travel on the carpet due to a long pile of the carpet.